


A little switch of dad

by Japsody



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fitz is drunk, Fitz loves monkeys, Fluff and Humor, Jemma dates with Milton at some point but it's not important, Leo Fitz & Jemma Simmons Friendship, Leo Fitz Feels, Leo Fitz-centric, Minor Lance Hunter/Bobbi Morse, Original Character(s), Rom-com, SHIELD AU: The Switch, The Switch (2010), and the boy too, how domestic can FS be in this fic?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:20:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25123063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Japsody/pseuds/Japsody
Summary: "I need a baby," Jemma says so casually like she was discussing the weather with Fitz.Fitz's brain melts between the words "I" and "baby"Fitz may have been grumpy, jealous, and drunk -hell, that sounded bad- but he wouldn't ever have changed Jemma's donor sample, right?However, when Fitz learns more about the boy, he realizes that maybe he could have been drunk enough to forget it.Kinda.
Relationships: Leo Fitz & Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons
Comments: 44
Kudos: 39





	1. you

**Author's Note:**

> All mistakes are mine and I don't own anything.  
> I hope you like it.

*:*:*:*:*

"I need a baby," Jemma says in the middle of their 'Documentaries and Chinese food' night, so casually like she was discussing the weather with Fitz.

His best friend says _need_ and not _want_ -what should be a big red flag to evaluate, but Fitz's brain melted between the words "I" and "baby" and considering that they just watched a kangaroo mom giving birth on TV, Fitz is quite proud of not spit out the contents of his mouth on the carpet.

Maybe, after all these years, he has finally adapted to her peculiarities.

"What- you what?"

"What I have said Fitz, I have decided to have a baby."

Hell no, he hasn't adapted to anything. _What?_

"Calm down, not with you." She rolls her eyes.

_WHAT??_

"Jemma, are you pregnant?" Because if she is, Fitz feels the duty to hit someone in the name of her father.

"No, Fitz, not yet." She says as if he were the crazy person here. "I haven't dated a man in months"

"Then -Um, how do you-?"

"Calm down, Fitz." She turns to him, with a smile. "I have been thinking about it and I am at this age where my body can go through a healthy pregnancy without complications."

"Jemma you're only 24 years old."

"Exactly! which leads me to the next point: now I am young and promising enough to have multiples job offers and financial stability to absent myself for a year for pregnancy and subsequent care of a baby."

Fitz's mouth opens but she continues.

"And then, offers will still stand, but it will not be like that when the years go by and I present myself to a company as a single woman. Not to mention, of course, the high value of health insurance to me then.”

Fitz knows that all this is true, many companies refuse to hire women for the costs that a Maternity Leave means. He personally thinks it sucks, but it happens.

"Jemma, but are you saying a real baby - as human one?"

_Couldn't they try a dog?_

"Yes Fitz, a human baby, which is basically the last point I couldn't rule out and that is, my biggest reason: I really want a baby. I need it. I can't stop thinking about it. I want to raise, hug, and teach it so many things.”

"Uh, that sounds great but J-"

"I knew you would understand Fitz." She cuts him off, squeezing his hand.

 _No,_ Fitz thought, _I don't understand anything._

*:*:*:*:*

Leo Fitz is a robotics genius so it doesn't take him long to start understanding things.

He understands many of the changes that Jemma quickly immerses them into.

Starting with incenses and scented candles around the house. Jemma says the smell in them makes her feel good and that she must be in a happy state to plan this baby without falling into stress. Fitz likes to arrive at the apartment and be bombarded by the scent that smells a bit like her so he doesn't complain.

But then the food in the fridge starts to change and his own mood starts to fall.

_No one messes with his food!_

Fitz becomes grumpy and miserable and Jemma just rolls her eyes before going to work, tossing him bags of vegan gummy bears because he appears to be in a sugar's abstinence rare process.

 _It's bullshit_. Fitz can't help cursing every time he eats gummy bears.

There is no longer greasy food for breakfast or midnight toast, now there are lamb's lettuce and lentils as snacks.

Not to mention, the immense amount of red fruit smoothies with vitamin supplements that Jemma makes Fitz drink, as a sign of solidarity with what she is facing.

"Can you be supportive about it, Fitz?" She repeats like every day looking at him so now he has to drink the whole smoothie.

Feigning disgust, Fitz swallows it before continuing to move their furniture to clean up the accumulated dust behind.

While Fitz likes the taste of smoothies and sharing them with her, Fitz can't help but complain. He misses the cold beers of their cleaning Sundays. But Jemma insists that she won't drink beer for the next year -at least, so she might as well get used to it before the baby procedure.

While Fitz understands the changes, Fitz doesn't understand why he has to get used to all of these things too.

Nor on what will be _the baby procedure_.

*:*:*:*:*:

Yoyo and Daisy are strong and empowered women who quickly get on the baby ship and help Jemma choose the best options for her.

So Fitz is quickly pushed to the sidelines as Jemma finds too busy with medical hours and shopping dates. Not that Fitz complains. He needs time to think about new gestural capture mechanisms for video games, after all.

But then, one afternoon Fitz is bored after work because Jemma has been gone for hours so he finds himself eating cereal in the kitchen's breakfast nook, reading a pamphlet about one maternity clinic that found hanging aside of the female flow calendar in the refrigerator.

It is not the best reading one can have but once Fitz started, he couldn't stop.

That's when Jemma arrives at the apartment with the distinctive sound of her keys falling into the bowl.

"I'm home Fitz!"

This is followed by Daisy's laughter as they leave the many shopping bags on the coffee table.

"Hey Fitzy!" Daisy greets him.

"Fitz!" Jemma scolds him as she takes off her coat. "Are you eating cereal? I told you that I would bring dinner! You had to wait an hour, Fitz. One hour!"

Fitz stares at her with his mouth open, one hand holding the spoon with cereal and the other still holding the insemination pamphlet. He doesn't think he can see Jemma the same way again after reading _this_.

*:*:*:*:*

No one can blame Jemma for not being a perfectionist and now she is in the process of choosing the best participatory donor - _whatever that means_ \- for her future baby, the whole process has been an eternal categorization of the candidates' attributes along with color lists of pros and cons during the last two weeks.

And finally, she has reduced the options to two.

"I think I'll dismiss the NASA one." She tells him, as they fold the clean clothes. "Is too smart. What if my baby wants to be an astronaut and step on Mars? I would live sending it to NASA camps during the summer.”

Fitz snorts and throws her underwear at her face. "This one says he works at NASA, not that he's an astronaut. He can be like- the accountant or the mechanic. And, anyway, you will send your baby to fun summer camps, what's wrong with NASA?”

"Well, you're right, but I'd like my baby to live marshmallows and campfires outside in the woods types of camps so, I better choose the climber guy- God knows my genes would benefit with something athletic."

"Cheers to that." Fitz says, lifting the strawberry smoothie over the clean stacked towels.

*:*:*:*:*

 _Donor's Day party_ for Jemma is big and lively, with too much guacamole and flowers. Daisy and Yoyo have turned the apartment into something out of a pagan ritual, and for Fitz's taste, maybe there is too much decoration that resembles adults body parts. Holding up a masculine-shaped candle, Fitz wonders who on earth is going to clean all this up.

All women applaud when Milton, _better known as the donor_ , arrives at the party with a bottle of wine under his arm.

"Hey," Hunter slaps Fitz on the shoulder, taking the candle from his hands. "How are you, mate?"

Fitz shrugs because he's frankly cool, he can finally have a decent beer after weeks of abstinence. Thank goodness for Daisy and her conviction that no party like this can go without alcohol.  
  
"Mate?"

"Why do you keep asking that?"

"Because you've avoided talking about this for weeks!"

Whatever -Fitz opens another beer.

"Look I get it, the bird is odd and you're used to it, but when this crazy situation hits you, I'm your man if you want to talk about this."

"Hunter?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

*:*:*:*:*:*

The women, at one point in the party, stared at Milton - _the donor_. The poor type turned red like a tomato when Jemma handed him the plastic jar to collect the baby.

Honestly, Fitz felt a little empathy for the prat when he was dragged in the bathroom direction.

Mack stood to his side and crosses his shoulders. 

"This is so crazy." He mutters and Fitz swallows the full alcohol content of his red cup. The beers ran out quickly and he had no choice but to sticks with whatever Daisy had added to the punch.

Hunter stops inspecting the big breast of a butterfly-decorated mannequin and turns to his friends. "What are women doing now, Big Mack?"

The tall man denies. "Look, just because I'm with Yoyo doesn't mean I know what madness is going on here."

"Happy to know that I'm not the only one uncomfortable with this. It doesn't seem like a crazy cult to you?" Hunter points to the donor.

"More like satanic ritual but yes."

"Why do they insist on dragging him there? And why the hell they keep putting flower necklaces on him?"

Fitz clears his throat. "He -uh... now he's going to, you know, free his thing in the bathroom."

"Is he going to do it here?"

"They are crazy?"

"I told you last week, our women are crazy, Mack."

"But it's don't need like, a doctor or something?"

If Fitz wasn't so busy drinking his alcohol he would scoff at their identical expressions.

"No. I mean, yes. A doctor it's needed and I think there is one here, I just can't remember which woman is. Jemma brought everything she needed from the lab last week, the thermoregulatory bath, and the conservative reagent, and yes, he is doing it here.”

Fitz looks as Milton finally enters into _his bathroom_ in _his apartment_ and everyone applauds. Even Fitz do it reluctantly or well-he tried, but ended up splashing the contents on his cup on someone and didn't bother apologizing.

"That's so fucked up, even for the bird." Hunter says.

"Insane." Mack agrees. "Insane."

Then they both turn to look at Fitz.

Fitz better goes to finds the nachos with pumpkin seed or whatever the guacamole has on it that works to increase fertility according to Jemma because the alcohol in Fitz's system is finally taking effect and he doesn't feel very party-friendly anymore.

*:*:*:*:*

Fitz is hiding from Daisy because she knows how Fitz hates dancing, even more, if he's half-drunk and she thinks it's fun to force him. At that, go through Jemma's room and look inside.

She is sitting on the window frame biting her lip.

"Hey," Fitz knocks on the door, drawing her attention. "Are you fine?"

Jemma smiles fakely before collapsing. "The truth is, no, I'm scared to death."

"Hey." As fast as he can, Fitz catches up to her and sits across from her. "Do not be afraid."

"Fitz, be honest. Do you think I'm crazy for doing this? ”

Fitz doesn't even take a second before answering. "No. I think you're not crazy for wanting a baby. It is natural."

A tear threatens to come out of her eyes. "I think I'm crazy myself, but I really want a baby."

"Of course you want a baby." Fitz does not doubt it, over the weeks he has learned that his best friend is even more wonderful for wanting to _go through all this_. "You are a caring person."

She blinks, wiping away the tear, smiling. "You understand Fitz."

Fitz touches her cheek. "Of course I do"

*:*:*:*:*

"How long can he take in there?" Trip asks innocently.

"I don't know." Mack responds, shaking his head. As if he was painfully disappointed with the whole situation.

"I think he has been there for like an hour, man. Is that normal? Is it normal for you? Because it is not normal for me." Trip shifts on his feet, ready to call 911 if it's necessary.

"Calm down, man" Hunter scoffs. "Anyone would take longer doing the job if you know that, on the other side of the door, there are creepy women thirsty for you-..." He gestures to his crotch. "You know what."

Fitz chooses don't get into the conversation. Instead, he is pinning the globe in the room, uniting fertility goddesses known around the world with the myth's origin point on Earth. Jemma thought it would be a good game. Yoyo said it would be impossible. Thanks to his glass of whiskey, Fitz thinks they were both right.

Mack squeezes his shoulder. "Are you okay with this, turbo?"

Okay, Fitz has had enough. He gets up, messing up his hair with a nervous gesture. "Yes, _I am_. Why do you all keep asking me that? Even May!”

The men look at each other for a moment, deciding who is going to deal with the grumpy and drunk Fitz.

Mack steps forward. "Well, I've heard from Yoyo that Jemma is going to Sheffield after this. I just want to know how you are-"

"She WHAT?"

"Woah Woah- easy, turbo. I thought you knew, Yoyo said Jemma wanted to be with her family when the baby is born."

Fitz's mouth drops and pushes the damn globe, making it roll out of control. _Well, whatever. He just needs more alcohol._

*:*:*:*:*:*

It is not until late at night that some of the guests start to leave and Daisy finally turns the music down a bit. But still, people persist. How much longer will this party last?

Fitz doesn't think he can hold the weight of the drinks in his stomach any longer. But throw a party with women? It's the equivalent of having zero bathroom entry chances for men. He has endured for almost half an hour until the road is finally clear.

"Fitz, are you going to the bathroom?"

Fitz bangs his head against the wall when one woman steals his chance.

"Yes." He mutters under his breath.

Jemma nods. "Okay, could you change the towels and replace the paper while you're there? ”

Fitz nods sulkily because he had already thought that anyway. And then, Fitz is even more cranky after thinking that he won't need Jemma to remind him of these things anymore because after this party he will be living, eating, and having to watch over the damn toilet paper by his own. 

_ALONE._

Well, Fitz could be drunker than he thinks. And he really needs to take a piss.

Finally, after two more failed attempts to get to the bathroom, Fitz can't help but sigh in relief when the pressure on his abdomen goes away. Now, his drunk head is ready to focus on other things, such as how betrayed he feels since he found out that Jemma _is leaving him_.

This baby is not a fact yet and has already changed everything.

As Fitz washes his hands he sees the thermoregulatory bath resting on the wall shelf, with the sample bottle in it, and Fitz realizes how angry he is with the big, tall, muscular cabbage head of Milton. Since, on a macro level, he is guilty of making Jemma leave. He is, after all, _the donor._

Then, without remembering very well how, the donor's sample drains through the wash.

Fitz is sure it is an accident, but again, he is very drunk. And seeing the empty sample bottle, he panics after his mistake.

_Bloody hell. She is going to kill him._

He needs to fix this.

And what follows are very confusing memories of him sitting with one hand between his pants, another with the bottle in position, looking at the portrait of Jane Goodall over the towel rack that Jemma insisted on putting there because it did not fit with any other decoration of the apartment and Fitz nailed the damn screw to the wall because Jemma kept hammering her thin fingers and then she insisted on holding the portrait for him, putting her breasts over his face and oh-

In the end, the last thing Fitz remembers is thinking _hell_ before he passed out on the living room sofa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the healthy food that Fitz describes are known to help fertility :)


	2. are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fitz has to face a couple of consequences from the party.  
> Some are immediate, as you know, appropriate conversation.  
> The others, not so much .... yet-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember i'm not a native English speaker, sorry for any mistakes.

*:*:*:*:*:

After the party, Fitz refuges in Hunter and Bobbi' house, taking advantage of the fact they are going through another long divorce fight. Hunter says Fitz can stay as long as he needs because they need a murder witness. Fitz isn't quite sure what he's talking about, but Bobbi agrees to have Fitz inside the house to help her hide the body.

_Whatever._

For the next few weeks, Fitz avoids going home after work because he has a strong feeling in his stomach that Jemma is going to hate him for something he did at the party, but he can't remember what -and also, a big part of him wants to delay as long as possible the moment she will tell him that she is leaving him behind.

Because Fitz will possibly cry when she tells him-

 _Hell_ , he's even crying above the Wii control, now.

Bobbi clicks her tongue and kicks him in the chair. "Fitz, go home. You need to talk with Jemma, not cry on my couch.”

"But Hunter said I could stay as long as I wanted-"

"-With Hunter- we need space to talk about our divorce"

Fitz rolls his eyes, leaving the Wii aside “You guys are never going to make it happen.”

His friend smiled “And that's why I need you to go. Now Fitz.”

When Fitz finally, reluctantly leaves the apartment, he thinks he sees a compassion look on Bobbi before Hunter closes the door on his face.

"Sorry, mate. She really is going to kill me if I don't do this."

*:*:*:*:

Fitz woke up rolled up in his own sheets with the characteristic smell he had come to miss.

None of his friends had for habit make banana and Nutella pancakes on Sunday mornings, that's only happened at home.

Scratching his back, he got up and walked sleepily into the kitchen, thanked Jemma with a gesture for the food, and fell onto the tasty and fluffy magistral pancake tower.

"The only way to catch you is with food." She says to him

Fitz takes a sip of tea. "Only tasty food."

"You have been avoiding me." Jemma crossed her arms.

Fitz's mouth drops with food. "I do not?"

"You've been with Hunter and Mack for the last month and the times you've been home you avoid m..." Jemma can't finish the sentence, she starts crying.

"Hey, are you alright?" Fitz forwards to hand her a napkin. "do-no, don't cry, sorry I don't-"

"Well, you must sorry!" She continues crying while hiccuping "I'm crying because you are avoiding me!"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, either!"

"I what-" _What-on earth- was he supposed to say?_ Just five minutes ago he was in bed and now, apparently, saying every-sorry-word wrong.

"I'm not crying just because of you, you know?" She declares with her chin up, making it clear that Jemma Simmons would never cry for _only_ a man.

"Okay-" _??_

"It's just, I can't stop crying because all my body has increased in progesterone and for all the pancake smell in the place - and thank goodness this mix required no eggs."

"Uhm" _Okay._

She pulls herself together, finishing wiping away her tears. “I wanted you to be the first to know, Fitz. I had taken a blood test in the laboratory. ”

No need to say why so he interrupts her, amazed. "Already?"

"I found out three days ago." She punches him with her fist under his collarbone. "That is why I am so angry with you. I wanted to tell you before anyone else!”

"So you are..."

"Pregnant, yes." Now that he notices it, _she's glowing, is that possible?_

"There was a high chance that that first attempt would fail, but apparently it didn't happen."

Fitz's gaze falls on the flat stomach of his best friend covered by his old robotic's team shirt. Fitz refuses to smile. More from shock than anything else.

At his non-reaction, she evaluates him. "Fitz, why are you acting like this?"

Unable to stop, the truth explodes. "Because now you have your baby you're going back to Sheffield!”

Jemma gapes at him.

"Don't try to deny it, I know-”

"Well, it is true but how did you find out?"

"Yoyo told Mack." Defeated, Fitz pushes his pancakes plate away with an abrupt hand move.

"I was going to tell you properly." She laments and tries to return his plate but Fitz stops her.

"When? When you were in England and I came to our _-my_ apartment and your things were gone?"

"No Fitz, obviously before. The scene in your head is silly. ”

"Sure, silly Fitz, let's abandon him and go home."

"Fitz!" Jemma stops him. "I didn't say it like that."

"I've lost my appetite," Fitz tells her before getting up and going back to his bed.

*:*:*:*:*

Fitz liked Sundays because it was the day he and Jemma behaved like lizards in the living room -not the days when they fought and tiptoed to the bathroom to avoid each other.

Immediately after the fight, Fitz had wanted to return back time. He should never have abandoned a perfect breakfast that his _pregnant best friend_ had prepared for him.

He was an ass.

He felt even more guilty when the sounds of the vacuum cleaner, the radio, and the washing machine were absent throughout the day. Fitz realized that Jemma was so hurt with him that she even abandoned the chores that made her feel in control and happy.

Or maybe she had just decided to abandon their Sunday routine now that she was definitely leaving the apartment.

Fitz dropped his head onto his fist and sank down onto the desk.

Well no, that was all nonsense. Jemma was right, he was acting silly and his mind was being paranoid. She had only wanted to tell him the good news and he had ruined everything.

_Could he be a worse friend?_

Now, he would have to apologize to her

The good thing is he knew very well what would be his peace offering.

*:*:*:*:*:*

Fitz knocked on Jemma's door.

_She opened it on the fifth try._

"can I come in?" He asked shyly, offering her a cup of tea.

"I'm warning you." She accepted the cup and opened the way "I'm needing a massive apology."

Fitz deflates as he sits at the foot of her bed.

"Sorry Jems, I've acted like an idiot."

"AND?"

"And I'm sorry for scorned your breakfast."

She nodded, taking a sip of tea and sitting next to him.

"Apologies accepted. Now, I apologize for having offended you- ”

"No needs, Jems. I was a fool imagining that you would go to Sheffield overnight. You would never do that.”

“Still, I want to tell you that I'm sorry. It wasn't fair that you have found out by Mack."

"Yeah, that sucked."

"I can imagine, Fitz." She summoned up her courage and gave him the gaze that Fitz knew as the "discourse learned schematically"'s gaze. "So, yes. I am moving to Sheffield because having my family around me will make the next seven and a half months much easier."

"But you have me." He looked at her.

"I know," She rests her cup on the nightstand. "But this is something I've never done before."

"There are many things you have not done before and I have been there-"

"But pregnancy is different from getting drunk or attending a recital, Fitz. My mother, like my aunts and cousins, understand- ”

"-more than me." He ended for her.

She denies and takes his free hand. “No one understands me more than you, Fitz; but I am doing this for the baby because they have lived it. They have experience. I've just lost my mind because my gums bleed from brushing my teeth."

"Just let me know a year before you want to have another baby, Jems." Fitz tries to joke, hiding his pain. "I assure you, I will bring one into the world on my own and I will know what advice to give you."

She laughed, not releasing his hand. "Deal."

Fitz sipped his tea and Jemma followed suit.

"Will you come back?"

"Of course. He or she will have to meet uncle Fitz, eventually. ”

*:*:*:*:*:*

That night, after dinner, they decided to watch a movie with popcorn as a peace treaty. When the IndianaShark10 credits appeared on the screen, Fitz turned to Jemma, who was almost falling asleep on the sofa armrest and said:

"By the way, Jems-"

"Uhm?" She blinked, trying to stay awake.

"Congrats for your baby."

She smiled sleepily at him. "Thanks, Fitz."

  
*:*:*:*:*  
For the past month, Fitz had promised to lend support and put a smile on his face every time they organize Jemma's donation boxes and luggage.

He never let Jemma lift heavy things at any time and he remembered to keep water biscuits close by for her. (Because morning sickness didn't _just happen in the morning_ and was a horrible thing to watch, even more so if you were the only one close to the incident and your best friend dripped her hair into the toilet, with a painting of Jane Goodall _critically observing them in the bathroom_ )

Jemma's last days in the city passed faster than Fitz would have wished but he was content that the excuses they found for hugging were persistent and the hugs prolonged.

Either way, Fitz completely broke the promise the day he took Jemma to the airport. He could not be the best friend who gives support and smiles as he watched their friends saying goodbye to Jemma before boarding.

He waited _-_ more like delayed-, impatiently for his turn until the round of farewells ended.

"Fitz" Jemma turned to him as Daisy walked away.

"Simmons" He answered with a raised eyebrow, which made her laugh through tears. Her eyes were so red from crying and still, she held the tears for him and smiled.

Fitz rubbed his neck before closing the gap between them, drawing Jemma into a tight hug that she quickly responded, surrounding his neck as same way she'd been doing for the past few days.

They breathed each other for a long time. Fitz could bet that behind his back, their friends were looking at each other _as they always did_ when he and Jemma were together, but it didn't matter, Fitz needed to keep her for as long as he could get.

"I have to go." She spoke over his shoulder.

Since she made no effort to walk away, Fitz allowed himself to hold her a little longer, until the boarding call rang out.

"Now I have to go or I will miss this flight." She pushed him away, but Fitz didn't release her. Not before giving her a quick kiss on the crown, and then taking her carry-on luggage and walking by her side the five steps necessary to reach the point where it was no longer allowed to move forward-

"I'll call you when I get to my parents' house-" Jemma assured him, retrieving her luggage.

Fitz nodded and then, let her go. He saw her walk through the windows until she disappeared behind a wall.

*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Fitz was only 16 years old when he traveled from Scotland to the United States to accept a robotics scholarship at the university.

One morning, during his freshman year, he was wearing a mathematical shirt (it had a bunch of facts about the golden ratio) as he ran through the faculty to get at class on time when he noticed that someone was following him. She said to him: _"hold still I need to read your shirt!"_. He turned to look at her without stopping _"My class starts in less than three minutes, sorry."_ She replied with a charming smile _"Doesn't matter if I follow you?"_

This's how Fitz met Jemma Simmons.

At that time she was pursuing a major in Biochemistry. They liked the same things, the same books, the same movies. They became partners who contributed to each other's ideas and it was great.

At the end of their university time, they moved together, _just for a while_ , they told themselves.

They ended up sharing each other's lives within the comfortable apartment they called _home_ for five years.

It was always effortless, fun and, complementary.

They were best friends, Fitz thought they would never be apart.

*:*:*:*:*:*:*

After leaving Jemma at the airport, days and nights passed; even the months flew away. She sent him messages to keep in touch and although Fitz was always reluctant to social media - Jemma said he was lazy - he found himself writing back every day as easily as she did.

Until Jemma sent him a picture of her newborn baby.

Fitz had always heard that newborns were cute and that they hit your soul with instant love, but he thought it was a bit ugly. The baby boy looked too small, bald, wrinkled, and grumpy in the picture. It was a kind of purple gnome. _Or more like a baby monkey._

However, immediately after overcoming the look of Jemma's baby, Fitz arranged for a teddy bear and a multicolor gerbera bouquet to arrive at the maternal clinic.

After that, the messages and video calls stopped as soon as it became clear that the baby required all her time.

As fast as the months passed, the years ran. Fitz went on with his life, working on projects, sporadically attending dates arranged by Daisy or Hunter, then returning to his empty apartment and writing messages since apparently he was a man who only knew how to talk with women when they were Jemma -and _talk_ was reduced to short greetings emails.,.

Occasionally he would coordinate birthday presents or Christmas presents for both of them and she would take care of making up for their faults by bombarding Fitz's inbox with photos of the first day of Reception aka pre-kindergarten or building a sandcastle that Fitz never looked at.

In a way, both of them were ghostly because of the boy who came between them.

*:*:*:*:*:*:*

"Hello?"

"Fitz! Hi!"

Fitz apart the phone to check the call: Sure enough, Jemma Simmons. Quickly, Fitz made mental calculations as he walked away from the noise generated by the actors with their robotic sensors attached to the body. The video game team was currently in the process of generating the characters for the new TheLastOfShark game, so Fitz's gesture-picking robots were working at full speed.

"Jemma, isn't it like 2 am in the morning over there?"

"We are in the same time zone, Fitz." She giggled. "I am in NY. Surprise!"

"What? How- Why did not you tell me? How long do you stay? Where are you?"

"Wait, wait, what was the first question? Well, forget it. Do you know how I perfectly managed the disorganization of the laboratories in England and the superiors recommended me for a promotion that I would never listen to again? ”

Fitz remembered. "Yeah?"

"So, a couple of weeks ago my boss notified me that everything was ready and now I am in charge of the chemical analysis control in the laboratory here."

"Here?" Fitz looked around the technical recording studio, completely lost.

"In NY!"

 _Oh well, that makes sense._ "Are you rolling your eyes?"

"Not."

"Because it sounded like you were."

"Focus, Fitz! I'm telling you, I moved back to live in NY! ”

"TO LIVE?" Fitz cheered and his coworkers turned. He dropped his voice dropped a little and turned away. "This is great!"

"I know!" She made it sound like Monica from Friends. "I would have warned you before but between work and Collin's things, I didn't have time. And then Daisy said I could save it as a surprise for you… “Pause... "And for the others, of course, as a surprise for everyone!" She quickly adds, running over the words. "Because everyone loves surprises!"

Fitz agreed, smiling like a fool. "And it's a good surprise."

He never would have expected ... maybe two or three years ago he was still waiting for the message in which Jemma reported that she was coming back or visiting him for Christmas, but now on, Fitz had lost all hope that she would be a constant in his life again.

"… So what do you think?"

"About what?"

"Are you listening?"

"The last part not, sorry I got distracted ..."

"Did I tell you what you think if we meet the next week for dinner?"

"The other week?" He repeated to himself.

"Yes"

"Sounds good, just tell me what day and I'll get rid of work."

"Perfect! I want to take Collin to this old restaurant we used to attend where there is an open fishbowl in it. ”

"I remember the place."

"Good, I'll write to you to organize everything then."

"OK-"

"Kay-"

_Silence._

_Silence._

"Fitz?"

"Yeah?"

"I have missed you so much." She confessed.

Fitz spluttered. "Same, Jemma."

"It will be great to have my best friend back."

_Silence._

She exhaled tiredly. "Okay, I have to hang up, Collin just entered the kitchen and I have to save the new toaster-" _Whatever that means?_

"Uhm .. okay, bye."

"We keep in touch!"

*:*:*:*:*:*

At 5.45 p.m Friday, Fitz -dressed in a casual suit a perfectly presentable blue shirt, thank you very much, no further teasing comment from Daisy on why it was wrong to put together tie-dots and cardigans with rhombus- arrived at the fish restaurant, Enoch's Lighthouse.

Jemma had said to meet there at six, but knowing how Jemma was, Fitz showed up on time for her standards.

"Do you have a reservation?"

Fitz nodded to the hostess. "Yes, actually, I already saw her."

He was not surprised to see her installed at one of the tables near the inside ship's bow, biting her lip.

"Fitz!" She quickly got up when Fitz found her and threw her arms around his neck in an effusive hug.

She pulled back a little and evaluate him.

"You look great." Jemma laughed.

Fitz nodded, swallowed, then breathed. "Thank you, so do you."

Because she was. She had shorty hair now and she was wearing only a little makeup on her, allowing Fitz to see the old freckles on her nose still persistent. She still smelled like lavender and sugar, which brought back a lot of warm memories. And she kept settling on his left shoulder as they hugged. She was and still is, the image of Jemma Simmons in his mind.

"Is it really you?"

"Of course." She teases as she takes a seat. "Who else could it be?"

 _No one_ , only the hallucination that has accompanied Fitz for the past few years, is tempted to add. Instead, looks around for the wean brat. 

"Where is -?" 

"Collin? looking at the fish tank. ”

Fitz turns in the direction of the open fish tank and sees the big, burly boy who appears to be a miniature Hulk and nods at Jemma. "I see him."

The good thing about this place is that it is a family-friendly place and the boy easily jokes around with other children and points one fish inside the fish tank like that creepy girl from Nemo.

"Thanks for joining me, Fitz, I want Collin to meet more people. I'm afraid he won't be able to adapt to our new life here."

Fitz dismisses it seeing how the child easily talks to other children "Of course he will adapt-"

"He has been having trouble"

 _Being the bully in the room? eating horse food? robbing some property at a young age?_ Fitz starts listing in his mind but then, notices what Jemma is referring to.

The mini Hulk in the fish tank runs over to sit next to his parents, and the rest of fishy bullies quickly dissipate, leaving a small boy standing alone with his hands inside his pockets. _Wow, poor blond, colorless, skinny boy_. He got nothing from his father's DNA. Now, Fitz has fully accepted Hunter's theory that Milton- _the_ _donor_ was on steroids.

The boy walks away from the tank and slowly come back to their table.

Then he sits next to Jemma and sighs like a 90-year-old man who has seen and heard too many horrors. "I think I have Alexithymia," he communicates, seriously "I saw the fish there and felt nothing-"

"Collin, we've talked about this, no more self-diagnoses." Jemma looks at Fitz, explaining. "He gots that of me, _I think_."

Fitz leans on the table, doing what he must do.

"Hello, boy. It's great to meet you! ” Fitz gushed offering his high five.

The boy looks at him with his big blue eyes and languidly hits his five. "Did you know that fish give anisakiasis to humans? It's because there are parasites inside a fish that are like worms and people swallow them by eating a fish and then, they get sick.”

Fitz scratches his cheek, disturbed.

"And people can die for it, you know?"

"Uhm, where did you hear that?" Fitz cannot deny it, he has just acquired immediate and terrible respect for sea foods.

"Youtube"

Jemma moved her arm and crushes Collin's wavy hair. "What a wonderful time to be alive, at the beginning of the 21st century, where in addition to early tech addiction, you can buy fish in places that guarantee good practices of extraction and handling as well as optimal cooking, right?"

Fitz wanted to agree with Jemma, calmer now he is sure won't die today but the boy, on the other hand, did not flinch. "What does guarantee means, mummy?

At that moment the waitress arrives, _thank god_ "So what are you going to order?"

Collin turns to the waitress- "Did you know that salmonella ..."

Jemma covers his mouth. "I'll order fresh lobster miso, please."

Collin complains, breaking free. "I want something without fish."

“Lovey, we came to this place with Uncle Fitz because you said to me that you would eat fish. The brain needs Omega 3, remember? ”

"I said I will try it, but I don't want them to be inside me after seeing them, mum."

Jemma dangerously narrows her eyes.

Fitz takes the floor. "I will eat miso soup too, please. And a black beer. ”

"And the boy?"

Jemma sighs. "Just rice."

The waitress nods. "Curry rice or some Tai variation?"

Jemma looks at her son - “Just white, please. He is quite specific. Could you also add a glass of wine? The strain that you think best suits... just don't forget to bring it, please. ”

"Would you like to choose a lobster?"

Apparently, the waitress thinks she's doing a favor for the way she leaned to speak with Collin, but Fitz notices the horror look on the boy and then, the fish tank that in the last five minutes has taken on new meaning for Fitz himself and returns to check it sideways with Jemma.

Fitz clears his throat. "Better not."

*:*:*:*:*:*

_Are banana and nutella pancakes what I smell?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so:  
> * Given how we left the previous chapter, and the internal events of Fitz, I had to resolve certain conversations between Fitz and Jemma...I didn't want to make them fight, but they are in the stage of such deep denial, my God.  
> Maybe you noticed this thing increased in one chapter? Because I had to solve some things between them and since scenes kept coming, I couldn't make it small and I had to cut the chapter in two since you wouldn't want to read a 6000-word monstrosity.  
> * I promise that from now on everything will continue light and fun, this chapter is only a transition-  
> * Also, since the next chapter is already written and I just have to translate it and check the meanings, it will most likely be uploaded soon.  
> 
> 
> * last point: maybe, would you tell me what you thought about this in a comment?


	3. my

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Collin being a 5? years boy  
> Fitz ignoring his feelings since his time at Uni  
> ... and Hunter being the rational head ...

Collin Simmons is a boy who not only plays with his food like any other normal child but he also systematically divides rice grains into specifics number of stacks. Inside a small bowl. With the skillful use of chopsticks. Before pretending they are insects and eating them.

Fitz looks at him askance.

The skinny little brat is rare. If Collin acts like this with rice, Fitz doesn't want to imagine what he will do with noodles or beans or, _dear God,_ a soup.

During their dinner, Fitz finds out that Jemma is leasing an apartment near their old neighborhood, that it is close to her new job, there are good schools in the area, and that her parents are in excellent health. On the other hand, Fitz tells Jemma that his mother sends greetings and that he has just started Doctor Who, _again_.

Just then, the sound of a Chinese slab crashing into a glass distracts them from the conversation. Quickly, Jemma acts with skill -and amazing reflexes-preventing Collin's glass of water from spilling onto the table, and then she naturally returns to the conversation. Collin, as nothing, keeps counting rice, stacking grain number ten in a new tower.

"So when you will see everyone?" Fitz asks. "We could organize something, like a small dinner?"

"That would be nice."

Fitz nods. "The other week?"

"Perfect." Then Jemma turns cold and stops Collin's hand in the air, staring at him. "No catapults."

Collin shrinks and quickly transforms the catapult movement toward his mouth, devouring tower number twelve, making a total of 180 grains eaten, in the two hours they have been inside the restaurant. Not that Fitz is tracking the boy or his behavior, but this whole situation makes him really nervous, for some uncomfortable reason.

"Collin-" Jemma warns. "Finish your dinner, Uncle Fitz has brought you a gift."

The boy looks at him. "That's true?"

"Yes, indeed." Fitz scratches his ear before takes the gift out of his suit and hands it to Collin.

The boy inspects the gift as if he had x-rays on his eyes. "What is it?"

"Open it."

"A-frame!" The boy smiles as he cut the paper.

"Wow!" Jemma nods, looking significantly at Fitz. "Don't you like it? You love frames”

Collin spins it and squints, "But where's the picture?"

"Wha-what? It is for put a picture on it-" Fitz _explains slowly._ Daisy, who grew up in foster homes, had said to Fitz that he should get a gift for Collin since it would make things easier and when Fitz asked Jemma for the best option, she had insisted that Collin would be happy getting a frame.

But now, the kid turns to his mother, clearly unhappy, and says- "It is incomplete."

"What?" Fitz looks at Jemma in horror. "It is not incomplete."

"It doesn't have the photograph." The boy _explains, slowly_. “Its the _most important part_. This is used. ”

Well, the boy has it. Fitz completely forgot about the gift thing - until half an hour before leaving his apartment and he had grabbed one frame of the coffee table, taking out the photo of his mother, promising to frame her again later.

"It is not." Fitz lies.

Jemma clears her throat, "Collin, what do we say to uncle Fitz?"

Collin looks at his mother as if she doesn't understand anything about life and then, nods, tired.

"Thanks, Uncle Fitz." He says unenthusiastically before come back to his rice tower, leaving the gift forgotten on the table.

"Should I have brought him a ball?" Fitz asks but Jemma shakes her head, changing the conversation.

Well, as someone once said, in a commercial or something, let children be children -with the weirdness and madness that means-, he and Jemma have a lot to talk about anyway, they can take a little more time dining ... He just hopes that the friendly waitress doesn't kick them out because they're closing and the boy hasn't finished his bowl of rice yet-

*:*:*:*:*

"I have failed motherhood, Fitz." Jemma sighs as Collin walks down the street and come into an Apple store.

He raises an eyebrow. "Did you lose him inside a commercial store?"

_and did you change him for another boy in the pay line ???_

"Noo." Jemma is shocked, offended.

"Well, I don't judge. But that's what my mother told my grandmother when I spent hours in the supermarket and it got dark and the manager took me home. She said she had failed motherhood. ”

"That's terrible."

"It wasn't," Fitz assures her, hands in his pockets. "I ate a lot of free cookies, and Mom got me a new set of tools to make up for her mistake."

They both laugh and suddenly she stops and watches him with narrowed eyes. "Sometimes you and Collin are so.....-" She shuts up and denies with a silly smile "Forget it... Never mind. What I mean is that I expected to have a baby, a son to love unconditionally. I did not expect to transform me into a cleaner, car expert, teacher to full time, and gravedigger of my fears.”

They stop outside the Apple store looking for Collin through one window. Jemma looped her arm thought his and waves to her son, who plays with a new Tablet model. “I'm not lying, being a mother it is more work than I ever imagined. I was tired and exhausted for the first two years and after, even more exhausted because he started walking and speaking but despite everything, it was great. Collin is great. He has a whole world in his head and understands things like no other child. He is perfect, and I am not saying it because I am his mother. He really is."

Jemma looks at him. Fitz nods, okay, _if she says so_.

"But the thing is, I read all the books and explained to Collin how he was created according to studies in child psychiatry but, nothing prepared me for the day my son came crying from school because a boy made fun of him... calling Collin a scientific experiment without a father....-"

Fitz opened his mouth to add that the kids made fun of anything, even when the _boy who has a father_ comes to school with a black eye for trying to defend his mother, but better, Fitz keeps silent. There were worse things than being a test tube experiment, but he doubts that saying _that_ , would help Jemma's mood.

"For that reason, I chose an open donation, Fitz." Jemma continues. "I knew this moment would come... eventually. ”

"This moment?"

Jemma nods. "Now that I'm here I am going to contact Milton. Collin deserves to have a father in his life - not just his grandfather's image."

As he said, Fitz knew that was overrated. Many children grew up with the image of grandparents, uncles, or whoever in their life and they were not ruined. Fitz himself grew up without a father figure after his father finally abandoned them but, although he admits that there are worse things than not having a father, having one would have made some things easier, especially with certain uncomfortable questions.

"Will you help me, Fitz? I will need a little help as I contact Milton and make sure he remains a good man before I introduced Collin."

Fucking hell, when she looks at him like that and blinks that way, under the poor lighting of the street, squeezing his arm with her hand, Fitz finds himself agreeing to help her.

"Sure."

Jemma smiles. "Meanwhile you and Collin could spend time together, you know? To bonding...it would be so good. Collin would really appreciate it.”

_Fantastic._

*:*:*:*:*:

Fitz wrinkles his nose at the smell of the corral while he watches the zoo birds along with Collin. The boy, standing right next to him, grimaces identical as Fitz's before writhing when a bird squawks in front of them.  
  
"These birds could have lice." The boy informs to Fitz with authority while he covers his nose with his little shirt. "Mum said some pigeons have them. We better see another animal, uncle Fitz.”

"Yeah uhm, good idea." Fitz is more than happy to please as they make their way through the zoo, away from the smell. 

Jemma is busy meeting with Milton for the first time in years and she had asked Fitz to watch after Collin and take the opportunity to get to know him better. 

It has been a month since Jemma returned to NY and while Fitz has spent almost every evening dining with Jemma or meeting with their friends, Fitz has never spent more than half-hour alone with the boy. Agree to take care of him for almost a whole day? it was madness. But Jemma has promised Fitz a reward dinner, which ended up sealing the deal and that was how he and Collin ended up at the zoo. And if he can keep Collin alive through this, Fitz is sure to be worthy of that dinner because so far, the boy has not only been miserable with the smells and sounds of the zoo's animals, but they have been _miserable together_ discussing every possible disease they can get from animals....or that humans can give to animals ... or just.... diseases that _exist._

Now they are watching the meerkats run and hide in holes. Fitz smiles because it is one of his favorite animals. Collin instead, shrinks. "They seem terrifying."

"They are not terrifying, they are like cats."

"Well, cats are scary."

"Good thing these are meerkats instead of cats, right?"

The boy nods. "Yep."

Throughout the day, the self-preservation sense in Fitz has learned how to take the course of the discussion with Collin, apparently. Because it was that or end up in paranoia _-together..._

"Cats can get leukemia, you know?"

Fitz nods, he knew that. Suddenly, he realizes that they both have taken the pose of pregnant women with their hands on their lower backs, so Fitz imperceptibly steps back from the glass and the kid.

"Have you ever been afraid of getting leukemia, Uncle Fitz?" Collin follows him, walking.

Fitz considers it. "Specifically leukemia don't, but I'm not going to lie you, I've had a good couple of hypochondria crisis in my life."

"What is that?"

"It's when you think you have diseases that you don't have."

"I have that!" The boy stops abruptly in the middle of the path and Fitz saves him from being hit by a baby stroller.

"It's okay, just don't do it _MEN-TALS_ ," Fitz nods, apologizing to the baby stroller's mother. "Or you will end up in a very schizophrenic place inside your head."

"What does schizophrenic mean?"

Fitz doubts. Real adult responsibility here, right now, by the possibility of influencing the knowledge of his best friend's son, which, is quite literal and hypochondriacal for his young age.

Well, what difference does it make? It's better for Collin to find out about an adult than by Youtube. Jemma would surely approve it.

So Fitz, _explains._

*:*:*:*:*:*

Fitz sits on his favorite bench in front of the monkey area, opens a pack of peanuts for the brat, and offers it to him. Collin has been quite introspective since the mental illness conversation. Plus, Fitz is 100% sure, from the way Collin continues to shrink back every time they see a new animal, that this kid doesn't exactly love the zoo as Jemma hinted.

"Do you want to talk about school?"

"Why?" The boy asks suspiciously as he sticks a handful of peanuts in his mouth.

Fitz shrugs. “Because you are a child and we have no other topic to talk about until your mom returns from her meeting. We are stuck with each other until then. ”

"But I don't want to talk about that."

From the way the boy mutters, Fitz _knows it._ "Okay, what's his name?"

"Brian Wade but how did you know?"

"Because I also faced bullies at school - although today they seem to be scarier than the ones I had in Scotland." 

"Why do they do it?" Collin shrinks even further on the bench, forgetting his peanuts. "Why are they bad?"

"Most of the time it's like a rare favor, they hit you or mocking at you because they know you are better."

"But it hurts that they act that way." The boy gestures with his eyebrows and scratches his cheek before sucking in a couple of tears that he proudly doesn't let go.

At the gesture, Fitz is touched. "It's okay. Do you want to know how I stopped them? ”

Collin has your full attention now. "How?"

"Next time, you must act like a monkey."

"Like a monkey?"

Fitz nods and points at the monkeys fighting over bananas and showing their teeth, while others sway over the structures. "You must be as crazy as a monkey, so you can chase away bullies."

The boy considers it, seeing how one of the little monkeys involved in the fight manages to run away with two bananas in his hands and smile at the distance, mocking the chaos.

"Okay."

They remain silent a little longer, watching the monkeys and their monomanias as they finish their peanuts when suddenly, Collin turns to Fitz and says:

"Did you know that smallpox–"

 _Oh no,_ here they go again...

*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Finally after leaving the primate area and after visiting the insects' dome with pus and horrible things by Collin's insistence -because apparently that's what Collin loves from the zoo- they left the place and the boy fell asleep at Fitz side on the bus.

Fitz's arm is probably going to drop dead thanks to non-blood circulation from the way the prat curled up on him but he is afraid to move and wake up Collin, especially now there is finally silence between them. He doesn't want to be immersed in another awkward conversation about the best poison in the world or which insect in the place was greener and has more eyes.

So Fitz doesn't move, despite his arm tingling and the sun beats down on his face. Uncomfortable, he tries to protect Collin from the evening light with one hand so that he does not wake up and thus reaches the meeting point with Jemma without major incidents, but in doing so, the boy moves awake, blinks looks at him with his blue eyes and then ... he is back to sleep _. uff._

"He is just like you-" an old woman, in front of them, points out.

Fitz turns, _uhm?_ The old woman was talking to Fitz?

"Your son." The old woman gestures to him with a polite smile. "He seems like you."

"Oh no, he is no- we're not related, he's my friend's son."

"Oh god, excuse me for that, I would never have guessed. The boy is your little copy.”

Fitz nods, uncomfortable before being speechless. He has not been and will never be rude to an older person but her comment just knocked him out.

"How old is he?" She asks, oblivious to Fitz discomfort.

Fitz thinks about it. "Five, I think-"

"Good age. Too many questions, they are like a sponge."

"Yes, I have noticed."

She moves her chins in a grandmother's style. "Hmp." She said loudly. "Hmph, hmph, you two must be very united, then. You are very alike despite not being related.”

Fitz looks at the boy. They are not alike - _that much._

“Either way, you look cute, the both of you. Quite an image for the sight. ”

"Thank you, ma'am." He _supposes._

*:*:*:*:*:*

Upon arriving at their stop, Fitz walks with a personal stuffed monkey around his neck and a small copy for Collin under his wing, the little boss's backpack on his back because apparently wearing a backpack is unjustifiable for a tired brat boy engrossed in devouring a hotdog -Fitz bought for himself one too, which ran out too fast. Fitz should have bought two, so that way, he wouldn't be feeling sullen and wanting to steal his from the brat. Right now he is hungry and feeling like a pack mule more than a good Uncle Fitz.

"Mummy!" Collin yells, the last crumbs of the bread disappearing into his mouth and he runs to Jemma when they reach the meeting point.

She squats with her knees on the floor, setting her grocery bags aside and opens her arms to Collin. "How was your day, sweetie?"

"Fantastic! the zoo is great, there were lots of insects and it was not scary at all...”

"Marvellous!" Jemma smiles at him, giving full attention to him as she stands up and takes his hand.

"...and there were SO MANY monkeys, mum-"

"And weren't you afraid of monkeys?

"No," The boy inflates his chest. "Uncle Fitz was there."

Denying, because of the boy's childishness –and a bit for shame- Fitz goes ahead to pick up Jemma's bags and begins to walk next to them, with the brat's backpack still on his back, the two stuffed monkey on his neck, and with a terrible hunger as he listens to Jemma ask Collin the right questions and gasp at the right moments.

Then Jemma turns to Fitz. "Thank you." She whispers meaningfully, looking directly into his eyes, before blushing and turning her attention to the boy.

Well, who cares to carry a little more weight, for a little more blocks, if it is possible that she blushes that way, again, on the way.

*:*:*:*:*:*

That night Jemma keeps her promise and they eat a delicious dinner that, by adult's amazement, Collin eats avidly without protest. Fitz washes the dishes while the little boss is properly bathed and taken to bed after that day's fatigue knocks him down. Finally, after a bedtime story by Simmons and a dismantled vacuum cleaner's repair by Fitz, they converge on Jemma's living room sofa, with identical cups of tea.

"Thanks for taking care of Collin today, Fitz."

"Don't mention it."

"I'm afraid to ask if it was terrible for you... Collin is, sometimes ... intense."

"Don't worry, he wasn't." Surprisingly, despite everything, it's true. "How was your meeting with Milton?"

Jemma drinks her tea, pondering it. "Everything went well, Milton seems to continue being a good man." 

Fitz nods, depositing his cup on the next table, taking a picture frame with a photo he hadn't seen in a long time.

"So-" Fitz resolves, out loud. "Does that mean he will be around Collin?"

Jemma nods, biting her inner cheek. “Eventually, yes, but I don't want to force Collin into anything. I want it to be natural.”

Fitz scoffs, wagging his eyebrows. "Because everything you do with Milton happens naturally."

Jemma gasps and punches him, pretending to be offended. 

"Ouch! Simmons!"

"Don't make fun of me, Leopold Fitz. I was so nervous to see my son's father today! it has to work for Collin!”

"It will, don't worry" Fitz dismisses it. "He should have been the nervous one to see you."

Her eyes narrow, evaluating him. "Is that a good or a bad thing?"

Fitz pulls away from another fist, mocking. "A good thing! I swear... ouch!!"

"Well." Jemma decrees, but not before playfully hitting him one more time and back for her tea. "Milton said he admired me for how I made the decision to become a mother years ago. He thought I was amazing. ”

Fitz rests his nape on the sofa, looking at her -with so much admiration and softness - "You _are_ amazing."

She smiles slowly and Fitz can't take his eyes off her .... even her lashes are amazing. How he never realized how long they were? It was pretty weird because she didn't have the coloration that usually went with long lashes and he never noticed it before, but they were really long -and amazing... _Oh hell, distraction ... stop looking... NOW._

Quickly, he coughs, distracting himself by studying the frame in his hands. 

"I can't believe you keep this, it's from almost 10 years ago." He said, more than anything because it was true. And because he really had to get distracted. 

"Well, that was the only university party worth to be framing."

"There was nothing remarkable," Fitz rolls his eyes. "I just remember you kissed me-"

"It was New Year, Fitz. I had to kiss someone!" Jemma laughs. "It was you or the guy from the computer department!"

"What an honor! All this time I thought it had been me among at least three other guys. ”

She snatches the photo from Fitz's hands, denying. "I think it was you among at least six."

"Jemma!"

"I'm kidding, Fitz." She pats him on the shoulder in a reassuring, but teasing way. "It was a good kiss, though."

Fitz smiles shyly. "It was."

"And then you apologized."

"Yes I did," He nods, determined. "Because you said, like three minutes before, ‘Oh Fitz, New Year's kisses never mean anything. We'd be dumb if we don't kiss!"

“I hate when you use that voice! I don't even sound like that! ”

Fitz laughs. "You do."

"Fitz!"

"Okay, okay, you don't-" He admits.

She relocates the photo frame on the table and looks at him. "I think I really want to know why you did it, Fitz." 

"Why did I apologize?

She nods.

Fitz sighs. "If I'm honest with you, didn't want to ruin our friendship-"

"But at least, we should have talked..."

Maybe they should have instead of going back to the dance floor and make a fool of themselves. The teenager in him had more than once regretted apologizing, but adulthood had proven his motivations.

"And then what? started a relationship? Break up after one of our many fights? Sooner or later we would have stopped talking because being friends after a breakup doesn't really exist.” Fitz swallows. "And we were supposed to be never apart, Jems. We were best friends."

"And we are, Fitz." Jemma takes his hand, knowing what he means. "I promise you that now that I am back, we will never be apart again.”

Fitz nods. It feels good, to talk about this, finally. The past is past and all they know is comfortable friendship so Fitz quickly welcomes it and pushes the awkward feeling away. Until Collin's voice calls. "Mum? Can you blanket me again?"

She gets up, sighing. "I'll be right back."

"No, It's fine. Its quite late, I have to go."

"Are you sure?

"See you tomorrow, Jems."

She smiles, "See you tomorrow."

*:*:*:*:*

There's a little leak of doubt that's lodged in the back of his brain, along with you know, the late tax return, the way his body turns on with old lady Jane Goodall and the knowledge that his dentist appointment is coming ... things he knows but prefers to ignore.

When did the doubt begin? he cannot say specifically the exact moment, but the sum of them.

Since Jemma returned to NY, the old routines are back. They explore museums during the weekends, buy fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets and given the closeness of their apartments, most of the time they watch television together, betting on small things, playing Ticket to Ride, and sharing jokes with their mutuals friends.

Everything would be incredible if it weren't for the fact that Collin Simmons and his non-sporty physical appearance has been added to all of the above. 

Fitz will not deny it, he likes to see this mum facet of Jemma, disheveled after dinner, telling historical events to Collin as bedtime stories, calming tears with hugs, accepting mischiefs but punishing bad behaviors, arguing over which character of a cartoon is the best or simply, thanking Fitz with a twice-bright smile for the cup of tea when they are finally alone and silent.

The thing is, the boy is neither sporty nor fearless. Nothing at all. Nothing like Milton who, by the way, has begun to be around the boy under Jemma's close watch. And among all those things, there are little Collin gestures that Fitz can't help but notice. Things as shoulder movements, displeasure with smells, or simply the fact that the child is unable to avoid dismantling an electrical object just to see how it works inside just as Fitz used to do when he was a child. In fact, Fitz has had to fix Jemma's robot vacuum about five times in the last month and the microwave, three times. Thank goodness Fitz stopped Collin in time when he was walking with the screwdriver in hand towards the prototype of a new drone the day that Jemma and the boy came at his place by surprise after school and stayed for dinner.

This time, Fitz has a strange deja-vu when he sees Collin running on the Coney Island pier alongside Jemma towards the direction of a churros Foodtruck because honestly, the boy is running like a girl. _Just like Fitz._

_Oh God._

Fitz can't stop the small leak from turning into a well while he is calling Hunter on the phone.

"Mate!" His friend responds cheerfully. "Since Jemma comeback, I barely have heard from you, how have you been?"

Fitz swallows. "Hunter, this might sound crazy, but he looks like me, a lot."

"Who?"

"Jemma's son!"

"Damn it, I knew it." Hunter curses under his breath.

That doesn't sound good. "Excuse me, but what did you know?"

"Mate, look, there is no easy way to say this but when the bird introduced me the lad, I noticed a certain likeness and under the sight of certain...strange event from a few years ago, I think we need to talk."

Fitz's stomach drops. "Okay, tell me, whatever it is."

There is background noise from Hunter's call. "I can't speak now, the divorce lawyers have just arrived."

“Divorce lawy-… really, Hunter? You and Bobbi, again?”

"What can I say? What we do agree on is that we cannot agree."

"Just apologize for whatever you have done!"

"I already have, and still Bobbi insists on bringing the lawyers."

Fitz denies. "That's hard."

"As I told you, I haven't heard from you in a while, you've missed a lot-"

"Uhm, sorry-"

"Do not be, it's not your fault. I understand that you're busy catching up with Jemma. Also, between you and me, I think Bobbi is already softening. I even think she growled at me less aggressively this morning. I was just hoping… ” Hunter raised his tone, scathing as if he was addressing someone on the other end of the line. "...fix this before a couple of thousand dollars spent on lawyers and the use of a damn judge!" Hunter cursed. "Well, I have to go. The lawyers are looking at me pissed off. Could you come to my house later? I don't think what I have to tell you is something I should say by phone. ”

"Damn it, Hunter just tell me ..." But then his friend said goodbye quickly and hung up.

The well in the back of his mind threatened to break into a dam, when Fitz caught up with Jemma at the start of the pier and accepted the churros Collin was carrying for him, noting his huge bright blue eyes and windblown sand-colored hair.

_Fuck._

*:*:*:*:* 

"Why didn't you tell me?!!" Fitz walks back and forth through Hunter's kitchen, messing up his hair.

"Because nothing made sense! You were drunk and saying horrible things about a gorilla lady, betrayal, and change. Nothing made sense! ”

"Oh, seriously? And didn't you think, I don't know, asking me to make sense of it?!!!”

"Look, there are things I don't want to know about my friends." Hunter uncapped a beer and offered it to Fitz, but Fitz refused, still walking. Hunter shrugged and drank it. "I am impartial to many things, mate. I don't mind listening with who you sleep with or who you don't, but I don't want to hear anything about feet, brocades, or the use of animals like gorillas for you know.... that."

"I don't.... Excuse me, did you say brocade?"

His friend looked at him. "There are things that I am not reproducing in my mind, but I will tell you that my colleague Rusty from work is crazy, in comparison, your story of handjob with the image of the gorilla lady in the middle of the party was a blessing."

"How? For what would he use a brocade- "

"I think it involved the use of ropes and a Russian lady as well, though I won't say more-"

Fitz shakes his head, "Okay, I don't want to know. Let's just… let's just get back to the matter-” He stops and pinches the start of his nose. "You're telling me that I confessed to you that I, in the middle of Jemma's party... I did change ...-"

Fitz may have been grumpy by learning that Jemma was leaving him, jealous since Milton and his genes were the biggest cause of that, and drunk since he bathed with all the alcohol of the place _,_ but he wouldn't ever have changed Jemma's donor sample, right?

But then, vague memories of him collapsing on the living room sofa, years ago, satiated and thinking about breasts, flood Fitz's mind.

"Oh God." Fitz leans against the wall. "I think I really did change the samples."

"You really?" Hunter raises an eyebrow, "How really do you think or did you really do it?"

"I am 80% sure that I did it ..." Fitz meditates "89% after meeting the boy."

The 11% remaining It's because everything is still so cloudy thanks to the alcohol of that party ...

Hunter denies, "Dude _that is heavy_ , you switched her baby."

Fitz loses his balance, stops, looks at Hunter, opens his mouth, closes it, breathes, and then opens it again in a groan, "Oh hell-"

"Are you okay, mate?"

"Not! I changed Jemma's sample ”

"Apparently you did." Hunter nods, standing up to hit his shoulder. "Congratulations, you are a father."

Fitz looks at Hunter and swallows, hard. "Am I Collin's dad? Oh bloody hell, I have to tell him...I have to tell Jemma!!”

"Wait, wait, tell Jemma? Think about this, Fitz. You've supplanted to the legal giver, I think you need a lawyer.” Hunter laughs. "Listen to me, I speak like a damn expert now. I could make my way to laws, what do you think?”

Fitz denies. "I have to tell Jemma."

"Are you sure?"

"I must tell her."

"Okay, mate." Hunter sits and watches him, sipping all his beer while Fitz continues walking through the kitchen, talking to himself.

"I must tell-"

"Yes, you already said that" Hunter reminds him, opening another beer.

Fitz applauds, determined. "I will go now"

"I still think you need a lawyer!" Hunter yells at him when Fitz closes the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why, every time I transcribe my writing into English, does it keep increasing by at least 1000 words? whhyyyyy?  
> apologize for:  
> * My language  
> * The delay  
> * There is nothing wrong with running like a girl. I put it on because I remember a 2014 interview from Iain where he told Lil that he runs like a girl.


	4. frame,

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fitz communicating his things...kinda  
> Jemma angry -I don't blame her-  
> Collin expressing why he likes photo frames

Bloody hell, _she is going to kill me, she is going to kill me, she is going to kill me_ , is the constant thought in Fitz as he runs through the streets towards Jemma's flat.

_She is going to kill me, she is going to kill me, she is going to kill me._

Because of course, **she will.**

Once he reaches Jemma's apartment, he quickly runs up the stairs - no time to wait for the elevator - which turns out to be a gross mistake because now he is hysterical, panting and sweaty, with one trembling hand pressing Jemma's doorbell.

"Uncle Fitz!" ~~The prat~~ , _ahem_ … his son, in pajama, opens the door and smiles at him.

**His son.**

_WOW._

Fitz falls to his knees. This boy, Collin Simmons, is his son. How could Fitz not see it before? He hugs him tightly.

"Are you okay, uncle?"

Fitz is no longer an uncle, he is a father.

 _He is the father of this child_.

Fitz apart a little from the hug to peer at Collin properly with one hand on his tiny cheek. His own father was a disaster, how can he make it work for Collin?

"Uncle, are you alright?" Collin repeats.

"What are you doing awake, buddy?" his voice breaks with emotion.

"I have insomnia."

Fitz denies, smiling. "No, you do not."

"Seriously, I have it. I just saw it on Wikipedia.” Collin walks away and runs into the apartment. "Mum!!! Uncle Fitz is here!”

The boy jumps onto the sofa and fixes his attention on the television, on Animal Planet channel “Did you know that chimpanzees are more closely related to humans than they are to gorillas?”

"No, I didn't know it." Fitz lies being unable, from now on, not to coincide with this boy. "That is awesome."

"It is." The boy says, turning his attention to Sahara's animal documentary, giving Fitz the impression that Collin is not more scared of animals as before.

"Fitz? What's wrong? ”Jemma appears from the hallway, with a sleep robe and cream on her face. "Everything is alright?"

Fitz swallows courage. "Yes, but I have to talk to you."

Jemma shrugs her shoulders, adjusting her robe. "Okay."

Uhm, Fitz doubts. Is this a conversation to have in front of the child?

"Uh, not here." Fitz grabs her by the shoulders and leads her into the hallway. "Outside, we better talk outside."

"Outside? Just let me take the keys- " She fails to do so because quickly, Fitz guides her by the hall to the elevator, walking down to the street. Far away from Collin's susceptible ears.

"Fitz, why- we're on the street!" She scolds him, appropriately adjusting her robe this time and wiping the cream off her face. "What is happening?"

Fitz inspires and applauds, clasps his hands together, brings them to his nose like a silent prayer, and raises his eyebrows. "Okay, I've been thinking about how to tell you this but there is no easy way-"

She smiles. "Just say it."

"Okay, I want to start by telling you that you are the most important person in my life, you know that, right?" She nods cheerfully and Fitz continues- "And that I would never do anything premeditated to hurt you."

"I know, Fitz."

"Okay, keep that in mind from now on. Uhm, wow this is difficult… it is maybe the most difficult thing I have ever had to say to anyone in my life, especially since we have wasted so much time.... ”

"Fitz! What are you trying to- “

He gestures, _don't interrupt me or I won't have the courage to say it._ "The thing is, there is nothing I wouldn't do for you, Jemma Simmons.... so if you, after telling this, go crazy and don't want to see me ever again, that's fine, I'll do it because some things just have to be said."

"Fitz, stop."

Fitz swallows. **_She is going to kill him, right now._** "No, let me explain please ..."

"It's alright Fitz." She nods. "I think I know what you're saying."

_"You do?"_

"Yes, I do-"

_"-I'm so sorry, Jemma, I never wanted-"_

"-Since I've come back, I couldn't help but feel-"

_"-But I was so drunk that apparently I did it-"_

"-This energy flowing between us -"

_"-Ans you don't know how much I'm sorry, I will do everything you ... What?"_

"-What?"

"What energy, Jems?"

She narrows her eyes. "Why, precisely, are you saying sorry?"

Fitz denies, "No, no, wait ... what are you talking about?"

"You know... feelings. That's what you're trying to tell me, right? That you have feelings for me. ”

Fitz is sure he can hear an ambulance and the barking of an insistent dog in the back of the city while everything else comes down to a deafening, confusing silence. "Ehhhh .. not exactly."

Not quite. Of course not. _Hell no_. He was there, ready to be taken to an electric chair after confessing to Jemma that he had kidnapped her pregnancy, not for ... of all things, he did not expect to talk about FEELINGS or ENERGY. Not now- Not EVER.

Jemma gapes at him too, and then groans. "OH..." She covers her face. "Oh, God." She quickly walks back to the building. “You know, just… forget everything I said, Fitz. Ignore me, I'm a mess. I've had a lot of work and all these things happening with Milton and just… don't listen to me.”

She quickly walks down the hall to the elevator.

_WHAT-THE-HELL?_

Fitz finally blinks awake and follows her inside. "Wait! Wait, Jems! ”

"No, it's not a good time, Fitz. Good night." She practically runs inside the elevator and presses the close button.

Good damn, Fitz forces himself for a second time at this night to do cardio and run up the stairs. On the third floor, he catches up to her, out of breath. "Jemma wait!"

"Go away, Fitz! I don't want you to see me now! ”

"Okay fine, I'm leaving but first, I have to know Jemma, what is the thing happening with Milton?"

She stops abruptly, outside her flat. "Collin open the door!"

"Jemma. I really need to know."

Jemma hits the doorbell once more before moaning and folding her arms. "Okay, fine! Milton and I have been spending more time together- Collin opens the door!"

"Like... dating or ..?"

“Yes, Fitz as dating, I guess.... but it is not official, yet-”

"And does Collin know?"

Jemma does a shhh gesture. "Collin knows, I told you he's perceptive and he found out when Milton came the other night. Either way, the two of them will be out together alone, for the first time this week. I want to make it work for Collin. ”

"And where will they go?"

"To a reading, or something like that."

"You don't know?"

"Fitz! Of course, I know, only not now…. ” Jemma knocks on the door "Collin open!"

"You never have a problem remembering." Fitz rolls his eyes and steps forward until he meddles between Jemma and the door to turn the handle.

"Well, you have me very nervous right now! I need space!"

Fitz opens the door for her with a mocking gesture and they both look at Collin, sitting on the small divan next to the door, looking at them expectantly.

"God, how hard it would be open the door for me, son?!" Jemma comes in and shakes her head. "You two will drive me crazy!"

Fitz watches her disappear into her room and then meets Collin's blue eyes.

"She's angry." The little boy informs.

Fitz twists his cheek. "Yes, really angry"

Not for the reasons Fitz imagined, though.

"She has a boyfriend, you know?"

"A couple of dates hardly count as a boyfriend for mum, she's pretty picky about it," Fitz explains as he enters and sits next to Collin on the divan.

"I’m six by de way-"

Fitz looks at him, "What do you say?"

“You told the lady on the bus I was five but I’m not. I'm six and I'll be seven, my birthday is soon.” Fitz nods, understanding. "Will you come to my party?"

"Of course."

"You promise it?"

"Yes, I will be there."

Collin moves in the chair “Did you know that the oceanic clam lives around 500 years?”

"Wow, that's cool, buddy."

"Right?" Collin smiles cheerfully.

Fitz studies him, with pride "What would you do with all those years?"

His son ponders it, seriously. "Being old I guess."

Without avoiding it, Fitz laughs.

*:*:*:*:*

Fitz places the small birthday gift on the table littered with large things wrapped in colored paper. He sees what it is at least five soccers balls and three boxes of a chair' size. Fitz doubts any one of these gifts would be cooler than the blue picture frame with a monkey image that he got for Collin. Anticipating the boy's reaction, Fitz smiles to himself.

"HI." His best friend/mother of his son greets him in a quick awkward half-hug and hands him a piece of cake. "How are you?"

"Fine, uhm, can we talk about the other night?"

"Could we pretend that none of that happened, please?"

Bloody hell, Fitz has lots of things he'd rather pretend didn't happen, but right now, the conversation about the other night doesn't fall under that plan. For many reasons.

"Mm nope, I feel like we really must talk about this energy thing."

"Fitz, please-"

At that Milton comes from a ladder wall. "Futz! My man, it's so cool that you did it! Jemma said you would surely be busy with your work. ”

“Well, apparently I got off work since it's Saturday" Fitz looks at Jemma, meaningfully, "And I've promised Collin that I would come to his party. Where is he, by the way? ”

“With one of his schoolmates, climbing on the walls. He enjoys it as much as I do at his age.” Milton informs smiling.

Fitz takes a look around the gym with huge polygonal multiangled climbing walls, down to the area where Collin is shaking his head to an assistant man who harnesses him. "Really?"

Milton grimaces as the three adults watch Collin walk nervously to a wall. "He will be a great climber, I can tell. Once he gets used to the idea and develops a better physique because it's in his genes. ”

"Sure he will." Fitz nods in response.

Milton smiles honestly, wrapping an arm around Jemma's shoulders. "Do you want a beer to go with that cake?"

"No uhm, I'm fine. Thank you." Bad things had already happened in the past when the scene involved beer and Milton.

Inside the complex, a sports assistant announced over a loudspeaker that new turns to climb the wall were available.  
  
"That's my signal, I'll go check on the kiddo," Milton told, kissing Jemma's cheek. "Have fun, Futz!"

When the cabbage-head man is out of the ears, Fitz turns to Jemma, with a high eyebrow.

"Truly? Collin wanted to have his birthday at a sports center? ”

“No, but there is nothing wrong with this place. Sport is good for children. "

Fitz scoffs. "Where did he wanted to celebrate his birthday?"

Jemma sighs. "In an animal rescue center which is strange since a few months ago, he was afraid of any living being, even my parents' dog."

"And what kept you from celebrating his birthday there?"

"Well, there was a lot of paperwork-"

"You hate paperwork." Fitz rolls his eyes, eating cake.

"And Milton-" She looked at him, like telling him, let me finish. "he suggested it would be an entertaining activity for young and old, especially since it would allow Collin and him interact better."

"Well, it certainly does." Fitz gestures with the plastic fork to where Milton is lifting Collin to put him on the wall. "I can bet Milton is in his element here."

"Don't make fun of him, he's excited to share this with Collin"

Fitz denies and returns his attention to Jemma, looking at her appropriately. Then swallow. "What have you got down there?"

"what?" She looks at herself. "It's climbing clothes." Jemma narrows her eyes doubtfully. "Do you think I look weird? I feel weird"

Fitz laughs. “Don't do it, you look good. You look pretty, actually. All these sporty looks fit you. ”

"Shut up." Jemma laughs, reaching out to joke but then, screams are heard.

Kids' screams, at a birthday party, never were good.

"Put me down !!!!"

"Calm down, kiddo! Use your hands ”

"I Cant!!!!"

"Oh my god, Collin!" Jemma covers her mouth, looking where he is, at least five meters above the ground, frozen and screaming without being able to move in any direction inside the wall.

"To go down, you just have to jump little by little towards the floor, kiddo!" Milton explains between screams.

"I can not!"

Fitz quickly reacts and runs alongside Jemma towards the wall, forgetting the rest of the cake on the gift table, reaches for the nearest harness on the floor, and put it on himself.

"Wait buddy, hang in there," Fitz yells at Collin with panic as he steps into the harness but Milton, the climbing expert, wins his attempt and quickly climbs the wall until Collin.

From the floor next to Jemma, Fitz watches his son hit Milton on the head when he takes Collin by the hips and jumps to the floor, holding the safety rope.

"I hate you." Collin hits Milton once again on the floor and then cries. "I told you, I didn't want to climb that high!"

Milton looks at him perplexed. "You have to overcome fears, kiddo. That's why we make your birthday party here. ”

"Stop, I hate you and I hate this birthday party." Collin runs to Jemma and Fitz, burying his little head in Jemma's stomach, searching for Fitz's hand.

"Calm down, lovey. Everything is fine." Jemma kisses his little crown and Fitz squeezes his little hand, reaffirming the feeling.

After a few minutes, Fitz watches them leave with the promise to open the presents next, which is a good trick because Collin quickly swallows his tears.

Milton stands beside him, one hand on his shoulder. "Fitz, it's your name, right?"

Fitz nods.

"And you're Jemma's best friend, right?"

Again, Fitz nods with an annoying noise between his teeth.

"I think we really should share a beer, what do you think?"

Fitz shrinks. A beer, taken with moderation, could not be so bad, after all.

"You and Collin seem to be close ... would you mind giving me a couple of tips on how to deal with the kiddo, Fitz?" Milton asks and Fitz curses.

*:*:*:*:*

Hunter is chewing with his mouth open while they are playing video games in Fitz's living room. It is, after all, Fitz duty as a video game programmer to review the competition available in the market and Hunter always agrees to participate in this part of his job.

"He doesn't stop and he keeps talking and talking and agree with everything I say," Fitz complains as he shoots a shark from the ResidentZombieShark video game. "He sends me emails, calls me every day, and wants to be my best friend."

"Hey! I am your best friend. ” Hunter who is apparently not listening properly shoots to Fitz's character.

"You did that on purpose!" He accuses, while his screen goes to the reboot menu.

"Yes, I did! no cabbage head is going to steal my best friend."

"Well, whatever, I didn't ask for this." Fitz apart his control and rests his head on the couch. “Milton insists he needs my advice on how to be a better father to my* son. It's like a nightmare!”

Fitz point is reaffirmed when his cell phone rings, notifying a new voice message from Milton. Fitz shows it to Hunter, mad. "You see it??!! It's a nightmare!"

"Well if you ask me, Milton seems to be doing this for Collin, he has good intentions."

"I know, he's terrible, and that steroid theory? Completely confirmed. He is the worst."

"You are just being a jealous grain, mate."

"I don't."

Hunter thrashes him on the back of his neck. "Why are you delaying all this? Just tell Jemma and get Milton out of the way so you can be the boy's father. You've said you would tell Jemma two weeks ago and you didn't. You said you would tell her during the birthday party but you didn't. You even have said you would tell everyone at May' brunch the last Sunday and you didn't either. Seriously mate, you must tell Jemma and stop teasing my ass with all this madness.”

Fitz sighs, rubbing his neck. "I wanted, Hunter. I really want to tell her, but things went distorted."

"Distorted? That is something new. In what sense?"

"The night I run to tell her about the sample change, she said there was an energy between us-"

"Energy is good."

"I know! Right? But I was more focused on preventing her from killing me and not about the energy thing, so I may have offended her by dismissing that conversation and since then, she doesn't want to talk with me about it!”

"You have dismissed a conversation about energy with the bird." Hunter denies, disappointed. "Dude, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing! I was nervous and she mentioned being in a relationship with Milton by the way, and then, she asked me to forget everything and I do not know what to do. Whether to fulfill her request or force her to speak because.... can I tell you something? Every time she refuses to talk to me, she also looks at me in a way it says save me in her eyes.”

"Ah! So we're back to her eyes now. ” Hunter wagged his eyebrows. "The bird's eyes have been important topics of conversation over the years, haven't they?"

“I swear to you, Hunter. Her eyes are different this time. They look at me differently and I see her differently….” Fitz nods to himself, straightening up on the sofa. "I think I have feelings for Jemma."

Hunter laughs, over his bowl of potato chips. "Seriously, do you think? Congratulations, mate. It just took to you like, 13 years to understand"

Fitz moans, burying his eyes on his palms. "Oh, hell."

"Okay, okay. There is nothing wrong with this. You are in love with the mother of your child.”

"Who by the way, dates with the non-real father of her son."

"It's never easy with you, is it?"

“I love her and I have switched her baby..."Fitz groans. "Jemma is going to hate me when I tell her the whole damn truth.”

"Then, don't tell her."

"I can't do that." He freaks out.

"Why, now?"

"Because then, I'll be Uncle Fitz forever-"

Hunter softens, inspecting him. "And you don't want that, right?"

"Not."

His friend puts a hand on his shoulder and squeezes it. “As I see it, mate, you have two options."

Fitz scratches his head, whatever it is, Hunter's advice is all he has now. "What are those?"

"First, if the eyes thing happening is true, you must tell Jemma everything at once. It may not end like a fairy tale but she may end up accepting it and allowing you to be Collin's father, as his best friend or something else.”

"And the second?" 

Hunter grimaces, restarting the video game. “The bird goes crazy, she hates you, then stops being friends but anyway you will be a father with shared custody of Collin and I will spend the rest of my life with a friend with depression, eating chips on weekends and playing video games such as we do now."

*:*:*:*:*

When Hunter leaves the apartment, Fitz goes for a walk to clear his mind and then returns to his apartment, with the clear intention of not delaying the conversation with Jemma any more, wherever it takes them.

A call enters on his cell phone two streets from his building.

"Fitz!"

"Jemma! I want to talk to you."

"Fitz, are you busy?"

"Not?

"Fine, because I need you to do something really important for me but you can't Fitzing about it, ok?"

"Did you just use my name as a verb?"

"Fitz! Listen, it's important! Don't freak out.” She said, sounding really freak out by herself. "Right now I'm in Michigan."

"Ah, did you go with Milton?"

"Yes, in fact, yes. I'm with him, he has a cabin here on the lake. ”

"Yes, the old lake house that has been in his family for thirty years."

Jemma is silent. "How do you know that?"

Because the prat names that lake house in each of the emails that it sends to Fitz where he tries to make them friends to steal from his son. "It doesn't matter, continue."

“Okay, we traveled here for the weekend but Collin preferred to stay at Liam's, who is a classmate at his school. It was only supposed to be until tomorrow, Daisy would pick him up in the afternoon but two hours ago, Liam's mother called me to inform me that they were taking Colin to the emergency room."

"Oh, no. He is fine?" Fitz's blood runs cold.

"Yes, apparently he fell out of bed and fractured his wrist. I have tried to communicate with Daisy or Yoyo but none of them answers me. I need you to take care of Collin! I don't trust Liam's mother enough, well maybe yes but not now."

"Jemma."

"I'm going crazy! There is a horrible storm here and the closest flight to NY I got is for tomorrow!"

"Jemma ..."

“And you know how Collin is with illnesses, he must be so scared to be in a hospital! Or at least driving nurses crazy! ”

"Jemma!"

"Yes?"

"Tell me, what do I need to do?"

*:*:*:*:*

Here's what Jemma listed for Fitz to do:

1-Hug Collin tightly once he gets to the hospital and then, make sure everything is okay with the broken bone. _Done._

2-Fill out all the necessary medical insurance papers in the hospital and then, after saying goodbye to Liam's mother, take Collin home. _Done._

3-Go to the pharmacy for pain medicine, instant soup, sweets. _Done._

4-Help Collin to eat dinner due to the difficulty of his sling and distract him from hypochondriacal thoughts. _Done._

5-Prepare Collin for bed, cover him properly and read a story to sleep. _Done._

6-Don't go crazy. _Done._

*:*:*:*:*

After making sure Collin was comfortable and all his wishes were fulfilled, Fitz got up from Collin's small bed, setting the limit of convalescent whims in three bedtime stories. A parent-in-training must set his limits sooner or later, Fitz told himself.

"Please, Uncle Fitz, one more story." Collin implored, falling asleep.

"No buddy, it's time to sleep now."

"Please."

Fitz smiled, walking across the room into the night light. "Time to rest, have nice dreams."

He reached out to turn up the star lamp and then he noticed, for the first time, the big collection of photo frames on Collin's bookcase. Fitz turns around the room, counting at a glance, at least 50 photo frames scattered all over the place. "Wow, what a great collection you have here, buddy."

Collin stretched out his good arm over the covers and smiled sleepily. "Thank you."

Fitz took the blue photo frame with the sample photograph of a monkey, which he gave Collin for his birthday. "Why don't you fill any of these frames?"

"Why is everyone asking me that?"

"Because, you know..." Fitz left the monkey's frame exactly where he took it. "People are supposed to put their own photos in the frames."

"But these frames already have photos," Collin explained.

"Yes, but they are sample photos of strangers models."

"These are not strangers." Collin reached out to grab a photo frame of his nightstand with his good arm and then turned on the bed. "I know these people. They are a gentle family. There is a dad, a mom, and two young children who have a pet hamster. They go to the beach every Friday and they are very friendly. ”

Fitz sat at the foot of his little bed and stretched to hold the image Collin gave him. He takes a close look at the black round-edge photo frame that shows a picture of a man on the beach running alongside a woman and two children. A girl and a boy of almost identical ages. Fitz smiled sadly.

“Collin, they are not real people, they are models posing for a photograph. They have their own families and stories, out of this photo- “He tried to explain, but Collin didn't listen to him, instead, he settled back to hinder inside the blankets and yawned tiredly.

“You also seem to be alone, Uncle Fitz. Just like Aunt Daisy and me. You can keep that frame if you want. They will be your family- "

"Is that why you don't fill them? Do you think this model people are your family?"

Collin nods. "Stick with that frame. It's okay, I have others."

Fitz inspected the frame in his hands, somehow it touched his heart, "Thank you."

His son blinked slowly, "Can you tell me one more story, Uncle Fitz?"

Fitz smiles, momentarily setting aside the portrait in his hands to reach another story for Collin. The child is about to fall asleep, it will not go beyond the title before snoring. What difference does it make to start another story ignoring his own self-imposed new parental limit?

*:*:*:*:*

The next morning, Fitz is making pancakes like the ones Jemma used to make for him, made of banana mix and full with Nutella, the ideal food for a hungry monkey who turns out to be, this time, his own son instead of Fitz.

Jemma always said that there was nothing pancakes couldn't do better and at the sight of a broken arm, for Fitz, there is no better time for pancakes like now.

"Do you think it looks like a monkey?" Fitz assesses the growing pancake on the pan, while Collin devours the fifth consecutive one, sitting on the kitchen table.

The boy leans over his shoulder and wrinkled his nose. "It doesn't!"

"You're right," Fitz nods. "Farewell, culinary career."

Collin laughs like a little boy and at that, Jemma enters the kitchen, leaving her travel bags on the floor's tiles. "What are you two doing?"

Collin jumps at his mother from above, with open arms. "Mummy!"

"Baby!" She ruffles his hair, kissing his crown and properly evaluating the child's sling. "Wow, a big boy sling huh?"

Collin nods. "Uncle Fitz said this sling could be autographed. Which means my friends can put writes on it.”

Jemma shoots Fitz a funny look as Fitz unsuccessfully tries to flip the pancake monkey in the pan to give them moments alone. "Uncle Fitz said that?"

At that moment, Fitz turns to her, shrugging. “I will be the second to autograph it. I'm a video game designer, I'm pretty famous. You don't know how many guys dressed in Coldplay follow me at ComicCon.”

"I'll go get the markers now that Mum is here!" Collin announces, running out of the kitchen.

"I told him we could autograph it only after you were the first to write on it."

Jemma rolls her eyes, reaching out to steal a piece of the freshly baked pancake, looking at him with mockery in her eyes. "Which practically confirms that I'm better than you, once again, famous sir."

"Of course you are." 

Jemma bit her lip in response, they looked into each other's eyes and then she froze, transforming her outstretched hand into a strange and distant pat on Fitz's shoulder. 

"Thanks for being here, Fitz. I really appreciate it.”

"Do not mention it. How was the weekend?”

"Fine-" She smiles, a little too quickly.

"How was the lake house?”

"Really nice. How do you know about that, by the way?"

"Milton and I share some emails. He tells me things."

"Oh. He never mentioned it...But yes, the house is charming, his grandfather built it in stone- “

Fitz turns off the stove and pretends to fall asleep, snoring.

"Stop it!" Jemma swallows a smile. "But yes, It's pretty boring to talk about a house, isn't it? I've heard the same story at least hundreds of times since Friday..."

Fitz nods in understanding, as he stacks the last pancake for Collin.

"Still, we're going to be back in two weeks, we're taking Collin with us to introduce him to Milton's family in Michigan."

"Really?" Fitz turns "So this thing with Milton... it's pretty serious, yeah?"

Jemma reacts, gaping. "Do not do that."

Fitz raises the spatula "I'm not doing anything!"

"You are judging him."

"It is not necessary, I've read his emails..."

"And what does that mean?"

"The guy couldn't be more boring."

Jemma rubs her forehead, walking away. "Fitz, if there's anything you want to say, just say it but don't act like a jerk against the father of my son."

Fitz leans against the kitchen. _Okay, the moment of truth._ Fitz has many things to say to her -Including, did you know that Collin believes that the models in his photo frames are his family and creates stories for them?- but first, the _most important_.

"You know what? Okay, I will tell you. Your relationship with Milton is a mistake- "

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is. In ways that you cannot even imagine, Jemma.”

Because is true. And this is not about Fitz or all the things he hides, its about Jemma and her blindness. It is impossible that she ever loves Milton.

"Fitz, stop-"

"You know I'm right!"

Fitz knows her well enough to know she really doesn't like Milton. The guy is boring and condescending and Jemma hates people who agree with her just for not being able to understand her, without making the effort to try to catch up. It is impossible for her to be happy.

"You won't screw this for me-" She hisses before leaving the kitchen, with Fitz following in her footsteps. "For a moment, I thought ... I thought you had changed but you haven't, Fitz... You are doing the same thing you did at the New Year party, years ago!"

"Why do you mention that! we're not even talking about -... this is about Milton!"

"I mention it because it's true Fitz. It's been ten years and you are the same person, refusing to move forward. But you know what? No matter how much you hate new persons, Milton will come into our life whether you like it or not. Because he makes me really happy!" 

"Are you happy? Really?"

"Yes, I am! Milton is a really great guy and he is not afraid of changes-" Jemma rubs her forehead shivering. "You know what? forget it. ”

"Not, please elaborate, what does that mean?"

"Ugh Fitz!"

"No, no ugh, Fitz, what does it mean that he is not afraid of change? Compared to who? Me?"

"Well, yes! Because you are afraid of taking any risk in your life!”

"That is not true."

She turns, turning her back on him. She starts to pick up Collin's toys scattered on the floor and the unarmed remote on the sofa. She looks at it and tries to put the pieces together, shaking.

"You're so afraid of change, Fitz and it's okay but that doesn't mean you have to rip my life apart because I refuse to stay in a safe area like you.”

"I'm not trying to rip apart your life!"

She surrenders, handing the unarmed remote control to Fitz.

“At least I'm trying to let someone into my life, Fitz. I can't keep waiting- I can't keep comfort myself with a friendship. You should try to do the same, sometime!”

She snatches the fixed remote from him and crosses her arms, looking at him. "Unless ... unless there's something you want to tell me?"

Fitz looks at her, surprised by her words.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Fitz?"

So many things. In fact, less than a day ago he had promised himself to _tell her everything._

"Nothing?" 

_Yes, actually here he goes_.

"Jemma" Fitz inspires, with courage. "I don't-"

She closes her eyes in pain, misinterpreting him, taking two steps back. "Don't say I don't --"

"My love, where are you?" Milton's voice interrupts them from the doorway, cheery. "Uff!, the taxi driver really had problems with the change."

Jemma turns to Milton, wiping away tears with both hands, still holding the remote control.

Milton sees them in the living room and quickly approaches Fitz, smiling at him. "Hey man! Thanks for being our damage control! Jemma and I really appreciate it.” Milton kisses Jemma's cheek and continues down the hall. "Collin, kiddo? Where are you? I've bought you a gift!”

When Milton disappears down the hall, Jemma turns to Fitz and looks at him with those characteristic new bright eyes, full with tears, this time.

Fitz tries to open his mouth, _to explain himself again_ but she denies it. "Thanks for taking care of Collin... but now, you should go... please."

Then she turns and leaves, searching for Milton and Collin-

After that, Fitz quickly leaves the department. Clearly, she didn't want to see him anymore - not now that she had Milton, Collin, and a family in Michigan.

For the first time since the twenty-four hours where Fitz accepts that he loved her, he decides that it would be better to keep everything in silence, to allow her to try to be happy with new life.

Fitz didn't want to rip apart anyone's life.

*:*:*:*:*

Fitz never thought that he would be a father. He had a lousy example of one that generated more pain than good memories but it is incredible how much he misses Collin and how much he still hopes to be a part of his life either as Uncle Fitz or a distant acquaintance of his mother because really loves the boy.

Jemma and Fitz haven't spoken to each other for three weeks now, by mutual tacit agreement away, so Fitz is thirsty for any information he can get about Collin or Jemma via social media or Daisy.

The boy was a pain in the ass, prickly and difficult on the best days, but he was also polite and intelligent. Extremely skillful and resourceful with words. There are still many things that Fitz wants to teach him and stories that he wants to tell him.

Fitz misses them so much that thinks he's hallucinating when the doorbell rings and on the other side is Collin, with a cut in his cheek, wearing his autographed sling but now it is smeared in mud.

Seeing him, Fitz quickly bends down and inspects his injuries.

"Hey buddy, what happened to your face?"

Collin puffs up his chest, about to cry. "Today, Brain Wade was making fun of me in the park where we were at my friend Liam's birthday party-"

"Woah. Woah, slow down buddy, in which park was that? ”

"At the playground's park on 616 street."

"But that is nine streets away! How did you get here?”

"I walked"

"Where is your mum?"

Collin stirs, wiping his nose. "Are you proud of me, Uncle Fitz?"

"What? Why?"

"Brain Wade was making fun of me in the park and I faced him like a monkey. I was so crazy as a gorilla and I scared him. He won't mess with me or Liam anymore. Are you proud, Uncle Fitz? ”

Fitz hugs him. "Come here, monkey, you're amazing."

_yep, yep, this guy just...should have spoken faster :(_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I want to hit them, really ...)
> 
> Would you believe me if I told you that this will be solved? It is a rom-com, there is a happy ending at the end of the tunnel -- coming to the next ep --  
> I promise you a happy ending.....  
> don't hate me, please...  
> Fitz bottles too much and he is afraid of change.  
> Jemma has high expectations and moves fast. She should have waited for a little more before, embarking on the baby's adventure alone ... I mean, to see if things with Fitz could move forward?? maybe????!!!!  
> Sorry for my language!


End file.
